ACE projects create a new learning experience for many young students.

Ancient Coins for Education, Inc., entirely run by volunteers, was established in 2001 as a registered non-profit organization to encourage learning about Classical (Greek, Roman, and Byzantine) history and culture through the use of ancient coins. ACE provides coins to students nationwide for their study and attribution with the help of online and computer resources.

ACE is supported by professional and amateur numismatists that have donated coins for the students, their time and knowledge as classroom mentors, and even books on the subject. Each year ACE holds essay contests for students with the subject of the essay being a Roman Emperor or a member of their family. The prize is an ancient coin for the student to keep. Last years national winner, 15-year-old Wendy Owens, was celebrated in her local newspaper:

http://www.gazette.net/stories/03042010/urbanew163749_32555.php

Zee Ann Poerio, an ACE director and teacher at St. Louise de Marillac School in Pittsburgh, PA, pioneered the Ancient Coin Museums project, which has brought displays of history through ancient coins to a growing number of schools. Parents at the first opening in Pittsburgh were amazed to see the exhibits and many said they wished that they had such an opportunity when they were at school.

ACE students are not only learning about history, but are also introduced to archaeology in the form of simulated digs where they can excavate authentic ancient coins. The coins used in this project are mostly in poorer condition than the coins used as inspiration and prizes for the essay contests or in the museum displays. Though actually quite common, they are typical of the coins also found at most Roman period archaeological sites.

The private sector, too, has recognized the valuable work of ACE and the Ancient Coin Museum project. In 2007, a $2,500 Best Buy Teach Award was presented to St. Louise de Marillac School for demonstrating how interactive technology can be used to make learning more fun for students.

The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) supports the valuable work of ACE and all of its teachers in bringing new dimensions to learning about our classical heritage.

For information about ACE, and how to help with their worthwhile projects, visit:
http://ancientcoinsforeducation.org/

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com

For many years, it has been my strong belief that the best DWN client is one who is educated. An educated collector is a confident collector and a confident collector is a more active collector. This is one of the reasons that I have tried to share as much of my knowledge about United States gold coins as possible. I’ve written the standard reference books on Charlotte, Carson City, Dahlonega and New Orleans gold as well as hundreds of specialized articles and blogs that can be found on my website www.raregoldcoins.com.

With few exceptions, I don’t think there are many other dealers who can make the claim that they are as interested in educating their clients as much as I can.

My current work-in-progress is something that I am especially proud of. I call it the DWN Online Rare Gold Coinapedia and I am proud to officially announce that it is available for collectors to use immediately.

What this online project consists of are hundreds of high-quality images (obverse and reverse) of 18th, 19th and 20th century United States gold coins along with descriptions of each. These descriptions, while taken from write-ups that originally appeared on my website, are informational as opposed to commercial and should provide the new collector with lots of basic facts about the coins they are interested in.

The beauty of this project is that it is totally non-commercial. None of the coins that appear on the on-line encyclopedia are currently for sale. No hype, no sales pressure, just useful facts about coins. And the quality of the images is superb.

At this point in time there are around 300 different images posted. These include the following:

• Over 40 gold dollars
• Over 65 quarter eagles
• Over 15 three dollars
• Over 85 half eagles
• Over 55 eagles
• Over 60 double eagles

And, there are miscellaneous images of coins such as Territorials as well.

As time passes, I will be adding images and descriptions to this resource. I hope to double it in size by the end of 2010. While it will never be totally complete (there are clearly a number of very rare issues that I will not be able to image in the near future) I anticipate that it will become an important, widely used reference in the months to come.

Please visit the DWN Online Rare Gold Coinopedia. Use it often and give me input as to how to make it better and more useful to you. I look forward to hearing your comments.

The educational event “Augustus Saint-Gaudens: The Renaissance of American Coinage” is being held August 15-18 at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New Hampshire. The seminar is the American Numismatic Association’s inaugural “Destination Education” program, and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study the life and work of Saint-Gaudens in the beautiful New Hampshire setting where he created his work and made his home.

No artist embodied the optimism of the American Renaissance movement more than sculptor and numismatic designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907). Students will spend three nights at the historic Juniper Hill Inn and attend four 3-hour sessions scheduled over two days to study his work and influence on American art and coinage.

“Augustus Saint-Gaudens: The Renaissance of American Coinage” is being held in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association’s 2010 World’s Fair of Money® in Boston. The cost is $1,595 per person and $2,390 per couple (one queen bed). The price is all-inclusive: tuition, gourmet meals, lodging and transportation are included.

This event is for members of the ANA or the American Numismatic Society. To register or for more information, call 719-482-9850 or visit www.worldsfairofmoney.com.

Some of the world’s top Saint-Gaudens scholars will be featured:

Dr. Henry J. Duffy, Curator, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

A Tour and Overview of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site and Museum

Dr. Duffy will lead a museum tour of the site and present a lecture covering the historic Saint-Gaudens site, the artist’s life and his importance to American art history. Over 100 of Saint-Gaudens’ works can be seen in the galleries. (more…)